The Marvelous Darlings

The Marvelous Darlings
“Single Life” CD (Deranged Records) 2011
By Rich Cocksedge (SugarBuzz UK) 

The Marvelous Darlings initially came to my attention due to the fact that the frontman is Ben Cook aka Young Governor, one of the guitarists in one of the most interesting bands around, Fucked Up.  My first experience of hearing the band was a download of the live album “Live at Gales” which although relatively poor on sound quality highlighted that this was a band that basically rocked and did so in a massively enjoyable way.

Holy Fever

Holy Fever “Holy Fever” 7”EP (Lifeline Records) 2012
By Rich Cocksedge (SugarBuzz UK)

The expectations of any group consisting of members of bands like American Nightmare, Suicide File, The Hope Conspiracy and The Explosion could be a continuation of the aggressive, primal approach of hardcore punk that they all dealt in to some degree.  However, Holy Fever does contain members of all those bands and despite the music has a gritty edge to it, one would not immediately link it to the output of any of those bands.

Queen and David Bowie – “Under Pressure”

QUEEN AND DAVID BOWIE “UNDER PRESSURE”
BY GEORDIE PLEATHUR…

“Love is all good people need and music sets the sick ones free…”
(-Andy Wood, Mother Love Bone)

“It’s possible that all that funding – nearly $8 trillion since 9/11 – especially the moneys that have gone into our various wars and conflicts, our secret drone campaigns and ‘black sites,’ our various forays into Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and other places may actually have made us less safe.” (-Chris Hellman)

Rockers Against Cancer

Rock Against Cancer Benefit – House of Blues Hollywood
Interview with Rob Sherriff
By Rock N’ Write

On December 6, 2011, the 1st Annual Rockers Against Cancer Benefit Show rocked the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. Bands such as Stonebreed, Octane Mob and Roy Z’s Serpents and Rainbows performed in support with Leatherwolf headlining the show. KNAC.com hosted the event to while rockers from all over So Cal came out for the noteworthy cause.

Taquila Mockingbird

Taquila Mockingbird
Interview & Podcast
The Punk Rock Museum
By Victoria Joyce

What do you say to a six-foot something lady with birds egg blue eye shadow that matches her hair? You say “good afternoon Miss Mockingbird!” The Shug’s recent “What Are You Most Grateful For” story brought responses from the four corners of the Rock Universe. Lo and behold, we heard back from a local lady who rang our bell. And in our zip code!

Natural Child

Natural Child: 1971 (Infinity Cat)
By The Reverend Wayne Coomers

Since you’re likely weeding through everyone’s year-end Top 10s, and you’re undoubtedly noticing a similarity between several of them around the top spot, let me share this quote from Pitchfork’s Mark Richardson from his review of Bon Iver earlier this year: “There’s something irresistible about the thought of a bearded dude from small-town Wisconsin retreating, heartbroken, to a cabin to write some songs.” I ask you, has rock and roll come to this, when someone can lead a review this way, with a straight face—irresistible? really?—and not instantly get the piss taken out of him (at least)?  It wouldn’t be so bad if indie Interweb groupthink weren’t compelling everyone to agree with Richardson, who otherwise seems a decent writer.